Button-down necktie



Nov. 19, 1957 A. 'SCHRETER BUTTON-DDWN NECK'I'IE Filed Nov. 28. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

AbrohumSchreter- INVENTOR.

Arm/min NOV. 19, 1957 SCHRETER BUTTON-DOWN NECKTIE 2 She'Qi B -Shaet 2 Filed Nov. 28. 1955 FIG. 4.

FIG. 5

FIG. 6.

Abrphum S chreter IN V EN TOR ATTORNEY Uit ed States Patent BUTTON-DOWN NECKTIE Abraham Schreter, Baltimore, Md. Application November 28, 1955, Serial No. 549,254

2 Claims. (Cl. 2-145) This invention relates to neckties, and it is more par ticularly concerned with neckties of the four-in-hand type which are tied with end portions hanging down from a knot formed at the throat of the wearer, one of these end portions overlying the other and being somewhat wider and longer so as to conceal it from view.

Neckties of this type are notoriously old and countless devices have been used heretofore for the purpose of holding the two ends of the necktie in proper relation on the person of the wearer. Devices such as tie pins, tie

claps, tie chains, etc., are well known and are extensively used.

It is also known to provide in the narrower end of the necktie a vertical row of button holes, either in the necktie itself, or in a vertical strip attached thereto, by means of which the said narrower end is buttoned to a front shirt button. The back of the wide end is provided with one or more cross loops for receiving the narrower end of the tie before the latter is buttoned to the shirt. This type of necktie is generally known as the button-down necktie and has actually been known for many years. However, it has found little favor in the market prior to our invention.

Button-down neckties of the prior art were generally undesirable because they utilized a large number of button holes ostensibly to insure the fact that at least one button hole of the necktie would lie opposite a button on the shirt.

The use of a large number of button holes in a necktie has numerous disadvantages. Inthe first place, it increases the cost of production greatly and in order for a necktie of this type to be commercially successful, it is absolutely necessary that the cost of producing it be at a very low minimum.

Large button holes and/or a large number of button holes also weaken the necktie structure and cause the necktie to twist out of shape under normal wearing conditions and particularly from the tying of the knot itself. This condition, as well as the requirement that a button hole be opposite a shirt button, are both aggravated by those types of button-down ties where the button holes are set in a horizontal position.

In some prior types of button-down neckties, the button holes were provided on a separate elongated strip attached to the necktie at the top or at both the top and bottom. This has the undesired effect of providing too much looseness between the two ends of the necktie with the result that little, if anything, was gained thereby.

As a result of these and other deficiencies, neckties of the button-down type have not heretofore found much favor in the commercial market, and the general object of this invention is the provision of a button-down necktie which obviates these deficiencies to a large extent, if not completely.

A specific object of the invention is the provision of a button-down necktie of the type mentioned which re quires only a minimum number of button holes, namely,

ice

three, and which is, therefore, relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a necktie of the type mentioned in which the button holes are oriented and arranged in relation to each other and in relation to the buttons of a mans ordinary or conventional shirt, so as to insure the fact that one of the button holes under any condition can be brought into registry with one of the shirt buttons within the limits of stretch of the small end portion of the necktie.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a necktie of the type mentioned in which the spacing of the button holes is related not only to the buttons, but

also to the stretch of the small end portion of the necktie so as to obviate the need for more than three button holes. A still further object of the invention is the provision of various alternative modifications in a buttondown necktie of the type mentioned.

These objects, other objects, and many advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following descrip-' tion, considered together with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a view of a front portion of a mans ordinary dress shirt having attached thereto a necktie in accordance with an embodiment of this invention, the ends of the necktie being loose and not yet attached to the shirt.

Figs. 2and 3 are views similar to Fig. l on a smaller scale, showing successive steps in the use of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a rear face view of a bottom portion of the narrow end of a necktie containing a modified embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a front face view of a bottom portion of the narrow end of a necktie in accordance with a further emon an enlarged scale.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing in which like numerals designate like parts, the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is in connection with an ordinary four-in-hand necktie 11 having a wider end 12 and an opposite narrower end 13 adapted to be placed around the collar 14 of a shirt 15 and tied in a knot 16, the said ends 12 and 13 hanging down therefrom with the wider end 12 overlying the narrower end 13.

The necktie is adapted to be used in conjiunction with a mans dress shirt 15 of the ordinary or conventional type or of a similar type having a verticalrow of buttons 17 down the front center which is exposed when engaged with a corresponding row of button holes 18 of the shirt to secure the shirt about the body of the wearer.

The rear side of the large end 12 of the necktie is provided with a horizontal loop member 19, as shown. This loop member is attached at the ends thereof directly to the necktie by means of stitches 20, or any other desired means.

In accordance with this invention, the other or narrow end 13 of the necktie is provided with a group of three button holes, namely, an upper button hole 21, a lower button hole 23, and an intermediate button hole 22 below the normal locus of contact of the loop 19 with the narrow end when the necktie is being worn normally by a person, as shown in Fig. 3. These button holes are vertically disposed with respect to each other, substantially as shown, and the length of each button hole 21, 22 and 23 is substantially to the distance between the shirt buttons 17, leaving substantially to of the said shirt buttons distance as the distance between the button holes 21 and material used in making the necktie. In order to insure proper operation of the invention, it is necessary that the material of the necktie be such that the short end thereof below the knot can be stretched a distance equal to the space between the button holes.

In the case of an ordinary shirt, the distance between the center lines of adjacent buttons 17 is usually about 3% inches, in accordance with standard or customary practice in the industry. This means, therefore, that the length of the button holes 21, 22 and 23 will each be between and A of an inch, preferably of an inch, leaving the space between the button holes between and of an inch, preferably of an inch. The latter is Within the limit of stretch of the said short end of most, if not all, neckties made of woven material.

The length of the button holes 21, 22 and 23 should not be greater than what is absolutely necessary, because any aperture in a necktie weakens it to some extent. Accordingly, the fewer the number of such apertures and the smaller the size thereof, the more firm will the material remain.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 4 avoids weakening the necktie material entirely by substituting for the button holes, a corresponding group of loops 24, preferably of a resilient material, for hooking under or around a shirt button in the vicinity thereof.

The embodiment illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 provides a group of button holes 25, the same as the first embodirnent, except that these button holes do not extend through the front ply 26 of the necktie, this ply being used not only to conceal the button and improve the overall appearance, but also it prevents weakening the material of the necktie as much as the first embodiment, where the button holes extend through all plies of the necktie, including the lining 27 thereof, if any is provided.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A button-down four-in-hand necktie comprising a plurality of fabric layers including a front layer and back layer, a lining disposed between said front and back layers, said necktie having a narrow portion at one end and a wide portion at the other end, the front and back layers having overlapping portions stitched to said lining, said wide portion having a single horizontal loop forming member on the back thereof to removably receive the narrow end portion, said narrow end portion having a group of three equally spaced vertical buttonholes therein, extending through the said overlapping portions, and the lining, said group beginning above the end of said narrow portion a distance less than the vertical space occupied by said group, but greater than the distance between two adjacent buttonholes, said group terminating a substantial distance below the bottom edge of the loop when the necktie is conventionally knotted and worn with the two ends thereof substantially together, the vertical space occupied by said group of buttonholes being substantially equal to that between consecutive buttons on a mans conventional dress shirt, said group of three buttonholes being the least number thereof capable of engaging one of said buttons with no more than normal stretch of said small end of the necktie when knotted.

2. A button-down four-in-hand necktie comprising a plurality of fabric layers including a front layer and back layer, a lining disposed between said front and back layers, said necktie having a narrow portion at one end and a wide portion at the other end, the front and back layers having overlapping edge portions, one of the edge portions being folded back upon itself to form a reinforcing ply, said wide portion having a single horizontal loop forming member on the back thereof to removably receive the narrow end portion, said narrow end portion having a group of three equally spaced vertical buttonholes therein extending through said overlapping portion and the reinforcing ply thereof, said group beginning above the end of said narrow portion a distance less than the vertical space occupied by said group, but greater than the distance between two adjacent buttonholes, said group terminating a substantial distance below the bottom edge of the loop when the necktie is conventionally knotted and worn with the two ends thereof substantially together, the vertical space occupied by said group of buttonholes being substantially equal to that between consecutive buttons on a mans conventional dress shirt, said group of three buttonholes being the least number thereof capable of engaging one of said buttons with no more than normal stretch of said small end of the necktie when knotted, and the said loop forming member being spaced a distance above the end of the wide portion of the tie substantially equal to the combined distance between any two buttonholes and the distance from the top buttonhole to the bottom of the narrow end of the tie.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 875,246 Davies Dec. 31, 1907 1,048,393 Dewey et al Dec. 24, 1912 1,798,432 Ratajack Mar. 31, 1931 1,890,001 Otten Dec. 6, 1932 2,052,161 Berger Aug. 25, 1936 2,652,569 Confino a Sept. 22, 1953 2,738,513 Carty Mar. 20, 1956 2,746,055 Gleason May 22, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 815,936 Germany Oct. 4, 1951 359,097 Great Britain Oct. 22, 1931 

